News

It was mid-afternoon on Saturday, and the piles of available fleece material were dwindling — but Teri Collins was optimistic. “It’s like the loaves and fishes,” said Collins, organizer of Blanket of Dreams, an annual event in Park Ridge where volunteers make no-sew fleece blankets for the homeless....

Citywide food drive held The Park Ridge Human Needs Task Force is conducting its annual citywide food drive through Nov. 30, the city of Park Ridge announced. Nonperishable food items will be collected during the food drive and donated to the Maine Township Food Pantry, the city said. Monetary...

When Park Ridge resident Edyta Czajkowska is not busy turning heads in the interior design industry, she said one of her go-to restaurants is Holt’s. Czajkowska, who founded interior design firm EDYTA and Co., recently talked about how she started her own signature aesthetic. Q: What motivated...

Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 officials are planning to add another social worker to the special education staff at Lincoln and Emerson middle schools, officials said. Funding for the position is already included in the district’s budget, but officials had held off on filling the job as Director...

A Christmas light show that has become a destination for many over the past four years will not be lighting up a Park Ridge neighborhood this season, according to the residents involved in hosting the display. Tom Grusecki said his family has decided not to put on the show of synchronized lights...

The Park Ridge-Niles District 64 Board of Education voted to support a plan to spend $2.5 million to build an addition to Field Elementary School that will include a new multipurpose room to replace the school's auditorium. The current auditorium would be renovated into the school’s main office...

More than 50 teenagers in Park Ridge have been ticketed for offenses related to underage vaping since the city began regulating the practice more than a year ago, Park Ridge’s police chief reported this month. Between September 2017 and early November, the police department issued 56 citations...

A short-term appointment to the Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 Board of Education will be made following the resignation of a board member, the district announced Friday. Eastman Tiu, who was elected to the District 64 School Board in April 2017, tendered his resignation in a letter dated...

An Uptown Park Ridge business owner is looking to bring craft coffee and party space to a building on Main Street where a long-time salon has down-sized. Declan Stapleton, owner of The Harp and Fiddle, said he plans to use his recent purchase of 24-26 Main St., home to Anthony Valentino Salon,...

A man was taken to a hospital this week after his car jumped the curb and struck the front of Park Ridge’s Pickwick Theatre building in Uptown, police said. The 66-year-old Park Ridge man’s 1997 Cadillac Catera was in a parking space facing the building at 5 S. Prospect Ave. when the car jumped...

The following items were taken from the Park Ridge Police Department bulletin. An arrest does not constitute a finding of guilt. Burglary An undisclosed number of phones and “other electronic equipment” were reported stolen Nov. 8 during a burglary that occurred the previous night at Verizon Wireless,...

The following items were taken from the Niles Police Department reports. An arrest does not constitute a finding of guilt. Weapon violation John E. Ashford, 24, of the 5100 block of Barry Avenue, Chicago, was charged with unlawful use of a weapon and possession of drug paraphernalia Nov. 8 while...

A new commercial and residential development is proposed for a stretch of Higgins Road in Park Ridge, where a vacant medical and office building has stood for several years. The Park Ridge Planning and Zoning Commission on Nov. 13 voted to recommend a new zoning classification for property at 400...

Park Ridge aldermen have tabled a plan to seek grant funding for construction of a combined sidewalk and bike path along Oakton Street on the northeast side of the city. The City Council on Nov. 7 learned that cost estimates for the proposed project, which would have created an 8-foot-wide sidewalk...

Gene Weygandt has been spending a lot of time in Oz. The Park Ridge actor had a long run as the Wizard of Oz in “Wicked” and has now taken on that role in Paramount Theatre’s staging of “The Wizard of Oz,” which runs through Jan. 6. Q: Are you afraid you’ll be typecast as a wizard? A: Good Lord,...

If there is any such thing as a national day of unity in this very fractured time in the United States, it is Thanksgiving Day. It’s one of those rare national holidays where we don’t celebrate revolution, war or victory. We come together to celebrate the act of coming together. We feast because...

MCYAF hosts program on teen ‘party scene’ The Maine Community Youth Assistance Foundation will host a program for parents entitled “How to Help Your Teen Navigate the Party Scene,” featuring licensed social worker Rebecca Levin. It takes place on Nov. 15 at 9 a.m. in the principal’s conference...

Maine Township High School District 207’s bond referendum received support from a majority of voters who cast ballots for the Nov. 6 election, but it didn’t score a victory across every precinct served by the district, unofficial election results show. With all 102 precincts reporting, 61 percent...

Five members of the Park Ridge-Niles District 64 Board of Education said Monday night that they no longer support a pilot program that would station police officers at middle schools. In August 2017, the board had approved a plan to have officers at Emerson Middle School in Niles and Lincoln Middle...

The teenage driver of a stolen SUV that is believed to have caused a multi-vehicle collision in Niles remained in intensive care this week, unable to speak with investigators, police said. No criminal charges had yet been filed in connection with the six-vehicle crash, which occurred shortly after...

Thanksgiving began as a celebration of the harvest. Today, most people see it as a day to give thanks, a day to feel gratitude, and a day to thank God. But this Thanksgiving season, why not take thank you a step further — a step beyond turkey, pumpkin pie, a day off of work, and family and friends?...

The cost of water for Park Ridge property owners is going up next year for the first time in more than two years, the city said. The City Council on Nov. 7 voted to approve new water and sewer rates for the first time since May 2016. The new rates will take effect on Jan. 1, according to the city....

A crisp November morning greeted members of the Park Ridge’s American Legion Post as they paid tribute to military veterans with a short ceremony Sunday. The annual Veterans Day observance featured prayer, a performance of taps and the presentation of a memorial wreath in front of the Mel Tierney...

Santa Claus will be taking Christmas wish lists from children at a new location during Park Ridge Winterfest this year, organizers said. The traditional, day-after-Thanksgiving free event, hosted by the Park Ridge Chamber of Commerce, city and library, will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday,...

A familiar face at Maine West High School in Des Plaines will be leading the school as its new principal next year. The Maine Township High School District 207 Board of Education on Nov. 5 unanimously voted to appoint Eileen McMahon to the position, effective July 1. McMahon is currently Maine...

They weren’t born until the 1990s were over, but dozens of Maine East High School students paid tribute to the decade of grunge and the Spice Girls when they took the stage for the Park Ridge school’s annual V-Show. “I Love the 90s” debuted Nov. 8 with over 30 acts featuring a wide variety of singers,...

Recently renovated park restrooms sustained damage during two fires that the Park Ridge Park District is calling vandalism. The fires were reported at 10:20 a.m. Nov. 4, and at 4:13 p.m. on Nov. 6 inside a building at Hinkley Park, 25 Busse Highway, Park Ridge police said. The Nov. 4 fire had already...

An SUV with three teenage passengers in it — and had been reported stolen — is believed to have caused a multi-vehicle collision in Niles Thursday that sent five people to area hospitals, police said. The collision, which involved a total of six vehicles, was reported shortly after 10 a.m. at the...

Saving a man’s life and solving a series of armed robberies at area gas stations earned several Park Ridge police officers special recognition from the police department and city this month. Officers Mitchell Stephens and Ana Juarez received the department’s Life Saving Award for using CPR and...

Peggy Crowley of Park Ridge was recently named “Woman of the Year” by the Apostolate of Women of St. Paul of the Cross Catholic Church. Crowley has been a member of the church’s philanthropic group for more than 20 years and was co-chair from 2016 to 2018, the parish said. The Apostolate of Women...

A friend called me the afternoon after the election and asked me how I saw it. I’m afraid, I responded, that I see the divisions in our country becoming even more hardened. People are digging in, he agreed. There wasn’t the massive Blue Wave that everyone was predicting, but Democrats did win enough...

The following items were taken from the Park Ridge Police Department bulletin. An arrest does not constitute a finding of guilt. Animal cruelty Anthony V. Campisano, 39, of the 4600 block of West Touhy Avenue, Lincolnwood, was charged with cruel treatment of an animal on Oct. 30, police said. According...

You haven’t laughed in weeks. Pain, loneliness and tears have become part of your normal, everyday life. And hopelessness envelops your soul because the thought of ever finding love again seems impossible. Ever been in this place after a bad breakup? I sure have. Fortunately, and even though it...

Democratic State Rep. Marty Moylan is expected to keep his 55th District seat for another two years, unofficial vote totals show. With all 70 precincts in suburban Cook County and Chicago reporting, Moylan had 55.5 percent of the vote over Republican challenger Marilyn Smolenski’s 44.6 percent,...

Voters have given the go-ahead for Maine Township High School District 207 to begin large-scale building improvements across its three schools in Park Ridge and Des Plaines. With all 102 precincts reporting, 61 percent of voters had voted “yes” to the district’s $195 million bond referendum, according...

All seven schools in Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 are ranked “commendable” under the state’s newly revamped school report cards that now measure student improvement on standardized tests from year to year. This year’s report cards assign one of four achievement labels — exemplary, commendable,...

Niles police are looking for the public’s help in finding a man who broke into a home Tuesday morning while a resident was still inside. According to a police news release, a resident of the 8600 block of North Olcott Avenue reported that she was getting dressed around 6:22 a.m. when she was startled...

Maine East presents V-Show The Maine East High School Fine Arts Department and Student Council will present “I Love the 90s,” the 2018 V-show, Nov. 8-10 at the Park Ridge school, 2601 W. Dempster St. Show times are 4 p.m. on Nov. 8 and 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 9 and Nov. 10. Tickets are $5 for students...

Some Park Ridge Park District fees could be going up next year, but not all members of the park board want the same for property taxes. Four of the seven park board commissioners on Nov. 1 said they would not support an increase in the 2018 property-tax levy. A formal vote on the tax levy is expected...

Music, dance and comedy again took over the Maine South High School stage during the school’s 55th annual V-Show over the weekend. “Camp V-Show,” opened with “Walking on Sunshine,” performed by the stage band, followed by a rendition of the song "Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah (A Letter From Camp),"...

The owner of Arlington Park racetrack has announced a bid to become majority stakeholder in the nearby gambling mecca, Rivers Casino in Des Plaines. Churchill Downs Inc. said it will seek to acquire Illinois’ most lucrative casino for up to $500 million. In addition to the Arlington Heights track,...

The bottom line question for parents with school-age children is this: How good is my child’s school? The second question: Are schools improving? The annual Illinois School Report Cards try to answer those questions, and the latest round was just released. Since the school report cards first came...

“There is no doubt those boys were heaven-sent.” For Dr. Linda DiFranco, some divine intervention was at play the night a group of Maine South High School students happened to be driving past the Park Ridge home she shares with her husband, Paul, at the exact time something was growing just feet...

The Rev. Carol Hill is Park Ridge Community Church’s new senior minister — and the congregation’s first woman to hold the position in its 175-year history. For Hill, it’s a homecoming of sorts, as she previously served as associate pastor of First United Methodist Church in Park Ridge. Most recently,...

Work is underway to bring a new arts and crafts store to a shopping center in Niles. A representative from Hobby Lobby said the company has signed a lease at 7225 W. Dempster St., the former home of Michael’s, a competing arts and crafts chain. Hobby Lobby expects the new store, which will be located...

The following items were taken from the Park Ridge Police Department bulletin. An arrest does not constitute a finding of guilt. Theft Stanley Piotrowski, 67, of the 5200 block of West Eddy Street, Chicago, was charged with retail theft and battery on the afternoon of Oct. 28 following an alleged...

The cost of a food service license for Park Ridge daycare centers will not be lowered, even if the centers do not prepare their own food on site, members of the City Council decided last month. Aldermen had been asked to consider a request from a daycare center owner to reconsider the $700 annual...

As a former member of the Maine Township High School District Board of Education for three terms (almost 12 years) and president for three terms (three years), I would like to go on record as opposed to the referendum. My experience on the board that runs the three Maine Township high schools makes...

A small, but tight-knit Jewish congregation in Maine Township joined faithful from across the country in remembering the 11 people killed inside a Pittsburgh synagogue during services last week. A vigil “in memory and solidarity” took place Oct. 30 at Chabad and F.R.E.E. of Niles, located in unincorporated...

City accepting pumpkins for compost The Park Ridge Public Works Department will accept pumpkins for composting on Saturday, Nov. 3, at the Public Works Service Center, 400 Busse Highway, the city announced. Pumpkins can be dropped off between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. They should be clear of candles and...

“Domestic violence is everywhere.” Illinois Appellate Court Judge Aurelia Pucinski’s words during a domestic abuse awareness forum in Park Ridge last week were a stark reminder that an often hidden secret is actually very present in all communities. “The better we are able to recognize that, the...

When I heard about the shootings at the Tree of Life synagogue, I was in Las Vegas celebrating my mom’s 80th birthday with our entire family. We are Jewish and we all grew up in Pittsburgh, so all of us kept getting texts and phone calls from friends expressing condolences, asking if we were OK,...

The way some Park Ridge commuters pay for their morning parking is getting an upgrade. The Park Ridge City Council on Oct. 15 approved the purchase of four new, automated commuter parking pay machines from Downers Grove-based Total Parking Solutions. The machines are scheduled to be installed near...

Park Ridge police are looking for a woman who is accused of spitting on another customer inside an Uptown restaurant in September. The police department this week released video surveillance images of a man and a woman investigators are hoping to identify in connection with a complaint that was...

The Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 Board of Education endorsed a recommendation to add another part-time special education teacher to Roosevelt Elementary School. In addition, four students who were sent out of district in previous years will return to District 64 facilities, and one student...

Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 has paid two law firms a total of nearly $30,000 to craft yet-to-be-finalized rules that would govern uniformed officers assigned to the district’s two middle schools, according to an attorney. District 64 has paid the Lisle-based law firm of Ekl, Williams and...

There were more than ghosts partying during the Park Ridge Park District’s Ghostbuster’s Ball last week. The pre-Halloween bash, held Oct. 26 at Prospect Park, featured music, dancing, a mummy-wrapping game and costume contest for the children who attended with a family member. The “most creative...

A Park Ridge man was arrested Friday after police said he was seen handing out fliers to passersby that referenced “white nationalism.” Michael Johnson, 57, of the 500 block of North Dee Road, was charged with disorderly conduct after concerned parents of children who were walking in the area of...

Niles Village Hall and the neighboring post office were evacuated Friday while the Cook County Bomb Squad investigated a parked car that had raised suspicions. According to Niles police, a customer reported hearing a noise coming from the car, described as a 1996 Toyota, while it was parked on...

A Rosemont police sergeant facing armed robbery charges was absent from a scheduled appearance before the local board that is considering the future of his employment after he was reportedly taken to a hospital Friday. Attorneys for Edward J. Karas and Rosemont Public Safety Superintendent Donald...

A nurse who allegedly tried to arrange the contract killing of her former lover’s wife supplied a fictitious backstory for why the prospective victim would be slain, a police detective testified at a Thursday hearing. Tina Jones, 32, formerly of Des Plaines, reportedly left instructions on a murder-for-hire...

A consultant on township government matters encouraged the Maine Township Board to avoid reducing the amount of money it levies from taxpayers this year. Robert Porter, a former township supervisor and special projects director for Maine Township’s law firm, Ancel Glink, told the board on Oct....

Retirement didn’t come easily to Frank Ernesto. The longtime Park Ridge businessman tried it for a bit after his restaurant, Gumba Joe’s, closed last year, but a life of leisure didn’t quite stick. “I got bored,” Ernesto admitted. So, just a year after closing his popular Uptown lunch and dinner...

A grant that would pay for the construction of a sidewalk, where one currently does not exist, generated interest among members of the Park Ridge City Council as a way to encourage more students to walk and bike to school. But some school board members expressed concerns that it could pose potential...

Park Ridge resident Kristen Budzynski loves to bake imaginative cakes. That’s why she entered a competition on “Bake It Like Buddy,” on the Discovery Family Channel. Since it requires a family duo, she brought along her husband, Barry. The two were victorious over a team from Ohio, baking the better...

The following items were taken from the Park Ridge Police Department bulletin. An arrest does not constitute a finding of guilt. Theft A $20 bill was reported stolen from the counter at Sav-A-Lot, 110 Euclid Ave., when a customer stepped away for a moment on the morning of Oct. 16. Disorderly conduct...

I am writing this letter to the editor to explain why I currently intend to vote no on the November 2018 ballot regarding the referendum whereby Maine Township High School District 207 wants to borrow $195 million, which will end up costing Maine Township taxpayers $300 million with interest over...

The electronics recycling event held on Saturday, Oct. 20, at the Park Ridge Public Works Center unloaded 417 vehicles in three hours. The Park Ridge Chamber of Commerce, the city of Park Ridge, and the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County worked together to put on this community event, so...

A former law school student from north suburban Niles is facing federal charges alleging he extorted and terrorized a young teenage girl for more than three years by threatening to expose her if she didn’t send him pornographic videos of herself on a nearly daily basis. David Cottrell, 28, forced...

Ghostbuster’s Ball held The Park Ridge Park District’s Ghostbuster’s Ball will be held Oct. 26 inside the O’Connor Community Building at Prospect Park, 733 N. Prospect Ave. The ball will take place from 7 to 8:30 p.m. and is open to children ages 3 and up with an adult. Music and a dessert buffet...

A $195 million bond referendum appearing on the Nov. 6 ballot for voters living within Maine Township High School District 207 would “close the gap” between the district’s schools and competing high schools that have already gone through building upgrades, Superintendent Ken Wallace said. “We will...

Halloween just isn’t what it used to be. Back in the old days, Halloween was dark and dreary. Few people decorated their homes for Halloween. Those who did tried to make it as spooky and scary as possible. Think the Munsters or the Addams family. Pumpkins were carved with scary faces. Skeletons...

When Cindy Holmes-Fine and her husband moved in together five years ago, their blended family consisted of five kids, all still living at home. Although very happy to have such a large and loving family, Holmes-Fine felt like there were times she needed and wanted some space; alone time, a reprieve,...

Residents of Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 will see the school district’s property tax levy rise no more than 4.64 percent, as compared with last year's levy, officials told school board members Monday. The District 64 board agreed to hold a hearing on the property tax levy Nov. 12, and final...

U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky and Republican challenger John Elleson differed on health care, tax law and military spending during an Oct. 20 candidate forum in Wilmette. The 9th Congressional District was one of several races featured at the event, which was organized by several north suburban chapters...

The return of a set of historic bells to the top of the Niles Leaning Tower will have to wait a few months. Work to restore the five bronze bells from the 94-foot tower and create two additional bells has been delayed, meaning the installation will not occur this autumn as initially planned, said...

A question that attempts to fend off reinstatement of an unpopular Cook County tax is one of two that Maine Township voters will see on their Nov. 6 election ballot. According to the Cook County Clerk’s Office, the referendum placed on the ballot by the largely Republican Maine Township Board asks,...

A group of Park Ridge residents will again be looking for the community’s help to fund the decorating of the city’s Uptown and South Park neighborhoods this holiday season. The Holiday Lights Fund, established in 2015, has set a fundraising goal of $30,000 in order to pay for the installation of...

There is still a bit of work to go before the Pickwick Theatre’s transformation into a “mega theater” is complete, but owner Dino Vlahakis says moviegoers can expect to settle in for new, first-run films by the middle of next month. “We’re still waiting for the carpet and for Coke to bring the...

Oakton Community College is opening a new wellness clinic in January 2019 on the Des Plaines campus that will streamline and bring under one cover the counseling services, health screenings and more that the college provides students, officials announced. At the board of trustees meeting Tuesday,college...

Sponsors of a bill that would make recreational marijuana legal in Illinois for adults over age 21 are planning to reintroduce a revised draft of the proposed law when the General Assembly’s next regular session begins in January, two legislators told a group of citizens gathered in Des Plaines...

When my late grandmother bought her first home in the early 1970s, she paid cash for the tidy, red brick bungalow with the life savings that she had earned working as a packer in the catalog department at the headquarters of Sears, Roebuck and Co. on Chicago’s West Side. Her husband, my late grandfather,...

Yevgeniya Lepskaya, who runs a school of music in Park Ridge, talks about the impact of music to her life. Q: What's new at Yevgeniya Lepskaya’s School of Music? A: Recently, we have added another studio at the School of Music to accommodate the inflow of new students. This allowed us to add another...

A business owner’s attempt to open a daycare center in Park Ridge’s South Park neighborhood was met with rejection by members of a city zoning board and the City Council due to parking and drop-off related issues. Aldermen on Oct. 15 upheld the Park Ridge Zoning Board of Appeals’ recommendation...

There is a growing movement coming from certain circles within the Democratic Party that our federal union is broken and needs to be blown to bits in order to be fixed. What is the evidence of the nation’s brokenness? These advocates for constitutional reform point to two main issues: The election...

A Rosemont police sergeant arrested last month in connection with two suburban armed robberies has been suspended from his job without pay pending the outcome of hearings seeking his firing from the village’s public safety department. The Rosemont Public Safety Commission voted Wednesday to approve...

There’s a reason why romance novels are a billion-dollar industry. It’s because diving into a Nora Roberts, Nicholas Sparks, or Jennifer Cruise novel, perhaps with a glass of wine, allows you to run away to a distant place without your boss, your sink full of dishes or your carpool. For an hour...

It’s an autumn of change for two Park Ridge-based organizations that have been bringing the arts to citizens for more than two decades. The Park Ridge Civic Orchestra, which once filled the Pickwick Theatre with classical musical several times each year, will open its 25th season this month at...

New restrictions are taking effect this month for Park Ridge car owners who have residential permit parking stickers. The Park Ridge City Council on Monday voted to approve changes to the city’s parking laws, which will now limit where permit holders can park. Under the new rules, permits will...

For the 15th year, a Park Ridge church is helping residents find the perfect pumpkins for the autumn season while also raising money for a local youth program and cancer foundation. Park Ridge Community Church’s annual pumpkin patch opened Saturday at the corner of Prospect and Crescent avenues...

New film series opens this week Matthew Hoffman’s next season of the Pickwick Theatre Classic Film Series begins Thursday, with two screenings of “The Bride of Frankenstein” (1935) and an appearance by Sara Karloff, daughter of horror movie actor Boris Karloff. Show times are 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m....

Time is winding down for the Park Ridge’s Farmers Market’s 27th season. The 2018 market comes to an end on Oct. 27, giving a shoppers only a few more chances to pick up their choice of produce, baked goods and other items that have been offered for sale all summer and early fall during the outdoor...

The Park Ridge Community Fund is so very grateful to our community for its support, which enables PRCF to raise funds to give away to the agencies that support our friends and neighbors in need. A huge shout out to Summit of Uptown for hosting the fashion show luncheon to benefit the Park Ridge...

In the wake of Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke’s second-degree murder conviction for his on-duty fatal shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, Park Ridge police officers and department volunteers have had to make their own decisions about lethal force as part of a recent, interactive training...

Early voting for the Nov. 6 election will begin Oct. 22 and again include a voting site in Park Ridge, according to the Cook County Clerk’s Office. Early voting opportunities for suburban Cook County residents will be offered at the Centennial Activity Center, formerly known as the Park Ridge Senior...

Legalizing recreational marijuana use is the topic of a town hall meeting planned in Des Plaines. State Sen. Laura Murphy, State Sen. Heather Steans and State Rep. Kelly Cassidy are scheduled to host a discussion on “pros and cons of cannabis legalization” on Oct. 17 at the Prairie Lakes Community...

A Cook County judge set bond for a Florida man accused of cutting off another man’s penis in a March attack in Des Plaines. Justin Foster, 28, of Tallahassee, has been held without bond since he was brought to Cook County in September on an attempted murder charge, but Thursday’s decision by Judge...

While watching and listening to the Brett Kavanaugh hearings and all the debates surrounding them for the last few weeks, I couldn’t help but think of something called “the life-lie.” It is an idea explored in one of the greatest plays of world literature, Henrik Ibsen’s “The Wild Duck.” In the...

Beth Marconi is an entrepreneur in the potty-training industry who has lived in Park Ridge. She is a mother of three children and is now living in Los Angeles. Marconi and her business partner, Rachel Blum, recently celebrated the launch of Easy Peesy Potty Pants. Q: How did the idea behind your...

Make Room for Truman has opened in Park Ridge’s Shops of Uptown. The new restaurant, which replaces Houlihan’s at 550 W. Touhy Ave., opened to the public on Sept. 27 and held a grand opening and fundraising event for the Park Ridge Community Fund on Oct. 3, said Michelle Molise, spokeswoman for...

When it comes to Lady Gaga, I’d say I’ve been lukewarm in the past. Although she’s extremely talented, there was something about her unconventional demeanor that just didn’t connect with me. Until last weekend. I went to see “A Star Is Born.” Now, I adore her. “A Star Is Born,” which co-stars Bradley...

Community Church pumpkin sales begin Park Ridge Community Church’s 15th annual Pumpkin Patch opens Saturday, at the corner of Prospect and Crescent avenues. A variety of pumpkins, baked goods and seasonal items will be offered for sale through Oct. 31, with proceeds benefiting Park Ridge Community...

The Park Ridge Public Library will be closed for two days this week as it enters the final phase of a seven-month interior remodeling project. Floor tiles, similar to ones previously removed by an asbestos abatement company elsewhere in the building, were found in a staff area of the second floor...

A Rosemont public safety sergeant charged with armed robbery last month had been accused of using his position with the department to get a large group of individuals, including a convicted felon, into an event at the Allstate Arena without tickets or security checks earlier this year, according...

More than 90 pages of transcripts detailing attorney interviews with Maine Township elected officials and employees as part of a sexual harassment investigation paint a picture of discord among members of the town board, as well as between some township employees and trustees. The transcripts were...

Strands of blinking lights and planets were suspended from a hallway ceiling at Maine East High School last week as students looked to space and beyond as part of this year’s homecoming theme, “Mystic Galaxy.” Suzan Georges was crowned homecoming queen and Sagar Patel was crowned king during the...

A live YouTube event and several school building tours are planned as part of Maine Township High School District 207’s referendum campaign leading up to the Nov. 6 election. The district has announced it will host a live presentation on the $195 million bond referendum and take questions from...

The East Maine School District 63 Board of Education appointed a new board member Thursday. Katie Anderson, a Morton Grove resident, will fill the vacant seat left by former board member Angelo Scarsella, who resigned from the board in August, according to a district news release. The appointment...

A 22-year-old plan outlining a development vision for the city of Park Ridge could be getting a makeover. Members of the City Council last month voiced support for pursuing updates to the city’s existing comprehensive plan, which was adopted in 1996, and is described as “the community’s desired...

A Park Ridge elementary school is one of 348 schools in the country to receive a 2018 National Blue Ribbon Schools award from the U.S. Department of Education. Washington School in Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 learned it was a recipient of the award on Monday. The award is given to schools...

Less than two weeks after they were forced from their homes, residents of a fire-damaged condominium building in Maine Township returned to the complex to share in a fundraising meal and reconnect with neighbors. A community dinner was held Sept. 27 in the clubhouse of the Landings condominiums...

Maine East marks ‘Mystic’ homecoming Maine East High School in Park Ridge is celebrating homecoming this week with the theme “Mystic Galaxy,” the school announced. Activities will include the annual powder puff football game on Thursday, immediately following the soccer game at 7 p.m. The traditional...

One of my more recent columns focused on how to fix baseball. I argued that it was time to add two new teams to the Major Leagues to give it a more balanced 32 teams instead of 30. I then suggested those 32 teams be divided into four eight-team divisions by geography in order to create new rivalries...

I am taking care of my son-in-law's 2009 Ford Escape while he is in the service. The steering has been erratic. I called Ford and they said the steering was already fixed on a recall. At first, the steering was rocking. Now, the power steering does not work. My wife uses the vehicle to drive our...

I feel like most people enjoy and appreciate tips on how to be healthier and happier. That includes me. So, when I stumbled upon a new NBC show called “Health + Happiness With Mayo Clinic,” I was intrigued. The name alone made me want to watch it. What’s so funny is, I watched an episode, and it...

In the spirit of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., his niece, Dr. Alveda King, said she has a dream of her own. St. Paul of the Cross invited Alveda King to speak at the Park Ridge parish to help kick off its commemoration of Respect Life Month in October. The program was held Sept. 29, featuring...

A taxi company that was licensed to pick up fares in Park Ridge for the last six years has lost permission operate in the city. The Park Ridge City Council took the final step Monday of revoking a certificate of operation for Pink Taxi. The council also voted to fine the company $250. No representatives...

A new committee formed to advise the Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 board on how to improve the district’s special education programs will work to “earn the trust” back of parents of students with disabilities, school board member Fred Sanchez said. Sanchez, who will lead the committee with...

Three people were reportedly robbed at gunpoint inside a Park Ridge gas station and convenience store early Tuesday morning, police said. The two employees and one customer reported that shortly before 3 a.m., four men, each wearing a dark, hooded sweatshirt, entered the 7-Eleven at Higgins Road...

Sunny skies and a touch a cool, fall weather provided the backdrop for Maine South High School’s 2018 Homecoming Parade on Saturday. The parade, following its traditional route, traveled from Maine South to Uptown Park Ridge and featured a variety of school clubs, athletes and performers displaying...

Niles police and the FBI are looking for a man who robbed a PNC Bank branch in the north suburb Friday morning, according to a Niles Police Department news release. According to the release, a call came in around 11 a.m. to Niles police about a robbery that had just taken place at the bank branch...

With a Vegas-themed homecoming at Maine South High School, Elvis Presley just had to make an appearance, right? And he did — with obligatory white jumpsuit and sideburns, plus some pretty groovy dance moves. Students cheered on “Señor Elvis” (really Spanish teacher Jose Arguello) as he partnered...